The Truth of Vaccines |
The Truths and the Misconceptions
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What are Vaccines?According to the Oxford Dictionary (4), a vaccine is "A substance used to stimulate the production of antibodies and provide immunity against one or several diseases, prepared from the causative agent of a disease, its products, or a synthetic substitute, treated to act as an antigen without inducing the disease." In more simplistic terms, it is something which helps your immune system fight against an illness. However, there are possibilities of complication.
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Why Do We Need Them?Vaccines are incredibly important however there are many misconceptions which surround them. There are many sources that give information on vaccines, however some are true and some are not. Knowing the difference is vital so that in the cases which vaccines could cause a problem, people are informed. This is especially important when in the cases of infants and newborns whose parents are deciding for them.
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Why Should You Care?The more people who are not vaccinated, the higher the chance an illness could spread. To go along with this, the more people become vaccinated without knowing possible side-effects, the less prepared they will be in the event of an emergency. Becoming vaccinated can help keep you and the people you love healthy, but becoming vaccinated without prior knowledge of possible side-effects, could put you or your loved ones at risk. Informing yourself, is the best first step.
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According to the Department of Health and Human Services (2), and Clinics of Paris France (1)a vaccine is a solution which is “made from very small amounts of weak or dead germs that can cause diseases — for example, viruses, bacteria, or toxins. It prepares your body to fight the disease faster and more effectively, so you won’t get sick.” It is usually administered in the form of a shot, normally to the arm where it travels to the rest of the body. They are developed and tested by many outside influences such as the Food and Drug Administration.
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Inactivated vaccines are another type. These are ones which use a dead form of the germ instead if a weakened one. This type of vaccines is known to be weaker than live-attenuated vaccines. Because of this, it may need to be administered more often than the live-attenuated vaccine. Common types of these include Hepatitis A, the Flu shot, Polio shot, and Rabies.
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The last type of vaccine is a toxoid vaccine. This type is created by a toxin found in the illness, hence the name. Because the toxin of the germ is used the immune system experiences what it would be like to fight the toxin, however not the entire illness. Illnesses which are immunized by this form of vaccine include Diphtheria, and Tetanus.
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